Argonauts of Awesome
Argonauts of Awesome Stable Name(s) Argonauts of Awesome AoA Debut November 17, 2008 Promotion High Octane Wrestling The Argonauts of Awesome (often abbreviated as AoA) is an American professional wrestling stable formed in High Octane Wrestling. Since its debut in 2008, the group has been considered the premier upstart stable in the history of the company and is most well known for its signature weapon-assisted group attacks on rivals and its record-setting 101-day HOW Stable Title reign. Though the stable has had several members throughout the years, its best-known incarnation consisted of Mario Maurako, Paul Paras, Christopher America, and John Sektor. Formation/Early History Mario Maurako rejoined High Octane Wrestling during the buildup for HOW's first "Rumble at the Rock" Pay-Per-View event in October 2008. He immediately found a place in Lee Best's Best Alliance stable and in one of his first matches back on the roster, Maurako defeated Bobbinette Carey, the leader of rival stable Team Epic, to capture the HOW Stable Title. At Rumble at the Rock, Maurako's longtime tag team partner, Paul Paras, made his HOW debut, interfering in Maurako's match and helping him lock HOW Commissioner Jeff Harris into a shark cage before dropping Harris into the Pacific Ocean. Paras would begin to appear with Maurako on HOW television, but unlike Mario, was never considered an actual member of the Best Alliance. After weeks of speculation, on the November 17th, 2008 Monday Night Mayhem broadcast, Lee Best signed a steel cage matchup between Paras and Best's hated rival, Chris Kostoff, with the stipulation that if Paras won, he would be allowed into the Best Alliance. Paras won the match with heavy interference from the referee, who appeared to be HOW senior official Matt Boettcher. Once the match was over, Maurako stormed the cage and the referee removed the theatre makeup covering his face, revealing himself to be former OCW and GCWA star Derek Mobley. The trio decimated Kostoff, then announced that not only would Paras not be joining the Best Alliance, but Maurako was breaking away from the BA and taking the Stable Title he won along with him. Maurako, Paras, and Mobley thus formed the newly coined "Argonauts of Awesome." The group would find success over the next month, going undefeated in singles competition. The Perfectly Marvelous tag team (Paras and Maurako) reformed on the December 1st Mayhem, defeating Team Epic and the Best Alliance in a 3-team dance to retain the Stable Title. On December 8, the AoA left their first indelible mark on the HOW history books, as they presented themselves with the new HOW Stable Titles, representing the championship with multiple belts for the first time (A red-strapped version for Maurako, blue for Paras, and white for Mobley). The use of multiple belts with personalized straps for each member became an AoA tradition that other HOW stables would later emulate. The early AoA's second and final title defense came at the December Pay-Per-View, ICONIC, where the Argonauts successfully defended against David Black, Jaxson Baxter, and Ken Davison in a Hell in a Cell match. Davison, his career on the line as a stipulation, tossed Derek Mobley from the top of the cell and through the announce table at ringside during the course of the match. Mobley would sustain serious internal injuries from this fall and would not reappear in HOW. Paras and Maurako were left holding all three Stable Titles by themselves at the end of 2008. Recruitment of Awesome The day after ICONIC, an ad appeared on the howrestling.com website advertising a recruitment effort by the AoA's remaining members. The following week, Paras and Maurako began making appearances on the stage during other HOW superstars' matches, lounging in lawn chairs and downing beverages from a cooler as they searched for new talent. Among the talents scouted were "Phenomenal" Ryan Faze, Silent Witness, Dylan Nitro, Guy "Static" Stephens, and Christopher America. A marital dispute between Mario and Amanda Maurako also began to surface on-air at this time. On the January 19th edition of Monday Night Mayhem, Perfectly Marvelous introduced Ryan Faze as their choice to be the newest Argonaut. During this segment, Amanda ran to the ring demanding Mario speak to her, but Triple M punched his wife in the face, informally beginning Maurako's signature "Whack-o-Meter" tally. Faze immediately jumped to Amanda's rescue, causing Maurako and Paras to kick him out of the group just minutes after he had joined. The personal feud between Maurako and Faze would continue for weeks while Perfectly Marvelous were forced to contend with Chris Kostoff's reformed Legion of Darkness by themselves. PM defeated Kostoff and a returning John Sektor to retain the Stable Titles on the last Mayhem of January. On February 2, 2009, Maurako called Faze out to the ring, accusing him of having an affair with Amanda. Faze denied it, citing obviously doctored photographs of the two together, then nailed both Maurako and Paras with a steel chair before they could attack him. Faze, however, was ambushed by Christopher America and his American folding chair. The three men orchestrated a vicious, weapon-assisted assault on Faze's already-injured knee; this sort of attack would become the group's trademark afterward. America was given the white Stable Title and officially became the newest member of the AoA. The AoA's recruitment was not done. One week later, after a Lee Best Invitational victory over Bobbinette Carey, Triple P called Maurako and America down to the ring to brutally attack Carey the same way they did Faze. Before they could do much damage, the Legion of Darkness's John Sektor ran out to fight the Argonauts off. However, in a shocking turn, Sektor attacked Carey instead, backstabbing the LOD and jumping ship to the AoA. The move was said to infuriate many backstage, most of all LOD leader Chris Kostoff. Sektor would be given a custom lime green Stable Title belt the next week and would be victorious in his first defense, a one-on-one grudge match with Kostoff. The aftermath of Sektor's betrayal allowed the AoA to cause extreme paranoia every week with questions of who would join their forces next. The group began heavily advertising a "Hall of Famer" would be joining the group next, causing speculation that anyone from Jatt Starr to Sektor's former partner Mark O'Neal could be the next Argonaut. On the February 19th Thursday Night Turmoil, the AoA revealed their red herring, bringing out a "Hall of Famer" from the Twin Cities Gentlemen's Club, an exotic dancer named Summer Passions. Maurako would use Passions as another notch on the Whack-o-Meter during this segment, but after Sektor offered her a position on his Live Seks Show, the group reconciled with her, and she became the official manager, interviewer, and personal stripper of the AoA. Stable Dominance The Argonauts used their priority of excellence in team competition to dominate much of 2009. Weekly battles against Sektor's former LOD teammates, Lee Best's Best Alliance, and Bobbinette Carey's Team Epic and Knights of Epicness each ended with Argonaut victories, usually involving more than one member of the stable competing together. Each member of the team began singles ventures as well, with Maurako embroiled in a personal war with Crow, Sektor trying to woo Bobbinette Carey, and America and Paras winning the High Octane Wrestling LSD and ICON Titles from Scottywood and Issac Slade, respectively. In the following weeks, Maurako recruited his former teammate, Steve "Silver Cyanide" MacKinnon, to join the stable, making the group even stronger. The AoA's original Stable Title reign lasted 101 days and spanned seven successful title defenses, records that stood until the titles' retirement. That reign came to an end when both Sektor and Maurako were forced to defend the titles in separate singles matches on the same night. Sektor fought to a draw with LOD member Darkwing, retaining the title, but in a shocking upset, Carey defeated Maurako in a dog collar match later in the show, bringing the belts to the Knights of Epicness. It took less than a month, however, for the Argonauts to reclaim their gold. At March to Glory 2009, Paras and Sektor teamed up to defeat Carey & David Black and the Best Alliance team of Guy "Static" Stephens, Blaze & Chris Kostoff in a three-team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to win back the Stable Titles. The AoA would hold onto the titles until a few weeks later, when Lee Best hired an all-star team of Shane Reynolds and Aceldama to take out the Argonauts. Despite a pre-match stipulation stating that Reynolds could not touch John Sektor during the match, he did anyway, and the BA defeated Sektor and Cyanide. The AoA never received another official title shot before the belts were retired. Breakup/Feuding Tensions in the AoA stable began between Maurako and Sektor when each of them attempted to coerce Bobbinette Carey into a date. Cyanide fell into a disastrous losing streak around this time, and America unexpectedly lost his LSD Title to Ryan Faze. In their last appearance as a unit, Paras attempted to reconcile the group, but was unsuccessful. Maurako and Sektor would soon fight each other on an edition of Mayhem, after which Sektor disappeared from HOW. Cyanide would quietly retire from wrestling in the following weeks. America and Paras fought on opposite teams in the 2009 War Games match, coming to blows several times. After War Games, Lee Best would announce an HOW Brand Split, dividing the roster between his own Thursday Night Turmoil show and Faze's Monday Night Mayhem. The AoA were officially disbanded when Paras and the contract of Sektor were selected by the Turmoil brand, while America and Maurako were drafted by Mayhem. Maurako and America began working as faces on the new Mayhem brand, with Maurako attempting a managerial role instead of wrestling. After a month of absence from HOW, Paul Paras appeared backstage in the private suite of heel GM Ryan Faze. It was revealed on howrestling.com that Paras had been traded to Mayhem for Joseph "Spook" Gregory. Paras and Faze appeared together for several weeks before Faze announced an "AoA Reunion" would take place on Mayhem in a self-admitted ratings ploy and way for Paras to destroy his former teammates. The plan backfired, however, when Paras turned face, joining Maurako, America, and even a cardboard cutout of John Sektor in demolishing Faze. The three ex-Argonauts did not reform the stable, but instead retained a mutual respect for one another in their singles careers. This respect ended, however, when Maurako became America's manager. The Marvelous One turned on the National Treasure, costing him the LSD Title and having him deported to Europe, causing him to miss half a year of HOW action. Sektor returned to HOW briefly during the second half of 2009, as both he and Maurako headed up the respective Turmoil and Mayhem versions of the Elite Protection Unit. During the World Title Best-of-Seven series between Paras and Aceldama, Maurako and his family interfered in the Match 1 Lumberjack Match, with the former PM teammates fighting in the middle of the ring for the first time in HOW. The pair began attacking one another verbally backstage over the following weeks. Finally, after his Match 6 loss in the series, Triple P was ambushed in the parking lot by Matteo, Martino, and Mose Maurako. This would be Paras' last HOW appearance for over six months. Sektor would leave HOW again soon after. 2010 Reunion In the summer of 2010, Christopher America became the owner of High Octane Wrestling, buying out the company from Lee Best. Rumors of America bringing his friends back into HOW swirled when at March to Glory 2010, John Sektor and Mario Maurako appeared in a private room in the White House as special guests of President Barack Obama. One week later, the rumors were shockingly answered as Sektor, Maurako, and Paul Paras ambushed the entire Best Alliance in the parking lot of the Best Arena, displaying new AoA t-shirts and reforming the stable. Directly after these events, America announced that he had made Sektor the new #1 Contender for Jatt Starr's ICON Title and that Triple P would finally receive a 1-on-1 World Title shot against David Black at Rumble at the Rock. The next week, however, the AoA revealed that America was not part of their plans, as he was still the leader of The Elite stable at the time. The Argonauts attacked Elite member Chris Kostoff at the end of a Turmoil broadcast, forcing America to run out to call them off his stablemate. A video aired live in the arena of the other Elite members being distracted by a returning Summer Passions, allowing Sektor to literally stab America in the back with his signature fork. The trio decimated their former teammate, knocking him unconscious as the broadcast ended. America was unable to reneg Paras' and Sektor's title shots, and each would go on to win their respective World and ICON Titles at Rumble at the Rock. Sektor and America would begin a feud leading into the next Pay-Per-View, ICONIC, though Sektor would lose his title and leave HOW again before a singles match between them could occur. Paras and Maurako found themselves in familiar territory, seeking a new member for the AoA. Much like they did in 2009, Perfectly Marvelous sought "Phenomenal" Ryan Faze for the stable, using Paras' former rivals Issac Slade and Shane Reynolds as red herrings for Faze's reveal. This time, Faze remained an Argonaut and teamed up with Maurako on several occasions through the end of 2010. At ICONIC, Paras would lose his World Title in the Best Ladder Match against five other men. Maurako would suddenly retire from wrestling weeks later during HOW's yearly winter hiatus, leaving the AoA at just Paras and Faze—the first time Triple M was not part of an AoA incarnation. The Big Three Upon HOW's return to regular business, the Lee Best Invitational was set to begin. The AoA began to fade into the background as a new stable made up of former PWX members, the Foundation, arrived in HOW. The Argonauts were not done, though, as HOW Hall of Famer Jatt Starr announced that he was joining the group, referring to himself as the "Starrgonaut of Awesome." Paras, Faze, and Starr, along with Summer Passions, began appearing in weekly backstage segments, calling themselves "The Big Three" of HOW, comparing the group to the NBA's Miami Heat, much to the chagrin of Cleveland native Ryan Faze. These backstage segments were highly popular with fans and usually included a more lighthearted, comedic approach to the group, distancing the stable from the Best Alliance and Foundation war. The team did not find much success in the ring, however. It became obvious that Starr had not recovered from the mental torment of his wife Bethany being attacked at ICONIC months earlier. Faze continued to struggle with his injured knee and taking care of his son, Ryan Jr., as well as the aftereffects of his former drug addiction. Paras became publicly cynical and apathetic about the wrestling business after his personal war with David Black and seeing his greatest rival, Shane Reynolds, fired from HOW. All three men were quickly eliminated in the first round of the Best Invitational and the AoA's place in HOW once again came into question. 2011 Renaissance/Dissolution The AoA suddenly surged back into the HOW limelight in February 2011 when Christopher America was revealed to have purchased HOW's most famous arena, the Best Arena in Chicago, out from under Lee Best. America made his official return to HOW on a live edition of Monday Night Mayhem, announcing that he would now control all the Best Arena's operations and booking. He then promptly allied himself with Paras, Faze, and Starr, rejoining the Argonauts of Awesome. Before the new AoA could begin to show off their newfound power, they became even stronger. After a match with Maximilian Kael at a Mayhem broadcast in Los Angeles, HOW rookie "Golden" Greg Davis announced that he had made a deal with a new, "Marvelous" manager to guide his career. Davis brought out the previously-retired Mario Maurako, shocking Kael and the HOW fanbase. Maurako announced to Kael that he and Davis were a part of a "New Era of Awesome." The four established AoA members stormed the ring, joining Davis and Maurako, and surrounded Kael. Instead of attacking him, the six-member Argonauts stable let a rattled Kael leave on his own power, a sign of the control-through-intimidation the group had adopted in their new era. The reformed AoA competed primarily as antiheroes for the next few months, battling old rivals the Best Alliance in a variety of matches, primarily focused around the HOW Tag Team Titles. Christopher America's ownership of the Best Arena also played a large part in the AoA's presence this time, as the stable used its newfound power to put their faces all over the promotion, increasing their popularity. This, however, is rumored to have caught the ire of HOW owner Lee Best backstage, as, instead of capitalizing on the Argonauts' popularity, he curiously set out to get them out of the spotlight entirely. Best fired Greg Davis after he was kicked out of the AoA following a series of harrowing losses. Jatt Starr was kept off television, making his last appearance as an Argonaut in a dark match at HOW March 2 Glory 2011. The remaining Argonauts made one final impact on HOW as a group, with America foiling Best's plans for a HOW Tag Team Title match at March 2 Glory between his Best Alliance (David Black and Ethan Cavanaugh) and the Foundation (Chris Kostoff and Fear) by booking Paras and Maurako, teaming together for the first time in two years, into the match. The five-time Tag Team Champions began a "nostalgia" run as Perfectly Marvelous, cutting 1980s-style promos backstage and wearing their gear from early in their careers. At March 2 Glory, Perfectly Marvelous scored their sixth Tag Team Titles (their first since 2001) when Paras pinned Fear. On the Mayhem broadcast following the victory, America booked a tournament that was to feature the "best real tag teams in HOW". Perfectly Marvelous entered the ring, but had no opponents in sight. America immediately declared them winners of the fictional "First-Annual Intergalactic Tag Team Tournament," citing that they were the only true team in the company, as all other teams were random singles wrestlers thrown together. They held the titles until they were again booked against an "all-star" tag team of the then-HOW Television and LSD Champions, Jackson and James Varga. The former champions never received a rematch. Faze would publicly retire from wrestling soon after. Summer Passions quietly left the promotion after her contract ran up. Paras would be fired from the company just over a month later due to much-publicized backstage heat with Lee Best. In their final appearance together, the last remaining AoA members, Maurako and America, disputed Best's claim that the AoA were dead and gone, asserting that the spirit of the Argonauts would continue to live on in all of its members and would outlive any of Best's makeshift Alliances. Members *"Marvelous" Mario Maurako (2008-2011) *"Perfect" Paul Paras (2008-2011) *Christopher America (2009-2011) *"Seksational" John Sektor (2009-2011) *"Phenomenal" Ryan Faze (2010-2011) *Jatt Starr (2011) *Silver Cyanide (2009) *"The Thriller" Derek Mobley (2008) *"Golden" Greg Davis (2011) *Summer Passions (Valet, 2009-2011) Category:Stables